We've been away travelling for the past couple of weeks - lots and lots of driving to different places and seeing different people. We got home a couple of hours ago, have done a bit of unpacking and left the rest for later - we have a big car, and a roof rack and it was all full - mostly with dog stuff!! I have to gush a bit about HOW proud I am of my pups. They've not done much in the way of long trips before and over this fortnight, they have spent a huge amount of time in the car. They have been an absolute delight. I didn't hear one peep out of them after the first couple of hours after leaving home - Willow was a little bit excited and whined a bit then. But once we stopped and gave them their dinner, they settled down and slept through the night, only waking up when we arrived in Calais in the wee hours of the morning. Other than that overnighter, the rest of the time we were driving during the day with them. I thought they'd get bored and restless after a short while, but again they were brilliant. They slept a lot, but other than that, they sat and looked at the world whizzing by. You wouldn't even know they were in the back of the car. We picked up their shiny new Allsafe harnesses when we arrived in England - something I had hoped to try out and desensitise them to before the travelling started (the ones I had ordered to be sent here never turned up). I needn't have worried, though, because they have no issues with them at all. They stand patiently while they're put on and are happy to be clipped onto the seatbelt. They appear to be a lot more comfortable wearing the harnesses than not, because they prevent them sliding around when we go round corners etc. If anyone is planning a trip through on the Eurotunnel with their dogs, I can tell you it's ridiculously easy. Travelling from France to England, you have to go to the Pet Passport area (which isn't remarkably well signposted, but is before you collect your hanger), where they look at the vaccination certificate/passport to ensure that they have a current rabies vaccine and have had tapeworm treatment within the last few days. They give you the microchip scanner to read your pet's chip, because it's less stressful for the dog than having a stranger do it. Very easy. Then, when you go through check-in to collect your hanger, you're asked to confirm the dog(s) is/are travelling with you. From England to France, you simply have to do that confirmation at check-in. There is no check of the pet passports at all. Simple! At both ends, there are small enclosures for exercising your dog and letting it go to the loo. The ones in Calais are rather small and the poo bag dispensers were empty - not an issue for me because I had my own, but I thought it was a little bad form to have the dispensers but no bags! On the English side, the enclosure is far superior - it is much larger; it has fake grass instead of real, so it won't leave your dogs muddy on wet days; there are plenty of poo bags in the dispensers; there is a separate enclosure for bitches in season; the main enclosure has a covered area for owners to sit if it's raining; the enclosure itself has some basic agility equipment for the dogs to play with! I could have stayed in there for ages I could go on and on about the things that happened while we were out and about, but for now, I need to put the kettle on again. I'm looking forward to a night in our own bed - without two dogs jumping all over us and pushing us off the edges
Yes, we're looking for a property in Spain, so we will be having lots of weekends away over the summer, hunting for the perfect holiday home for them
Glad to hear you are all home safely and had a good trip . Look forward to hearing all about it, with lots of photos
Sounds like a brilliant trip Fiona,they have been super,you do right to be proud of them,they have covered some miles in the last couple of weeks
